The first human civilizations sprang up in Mesopotamia, the "Land Between the Rivers" in the ancient Near East. Those who built cities between the Tigris and the Euphrates gave humanity its first written records, as well as the oldest known epic and code of laws.

Unit Guide and Primary Sources

"I will set up my name in the place where the names of famous men are written, and where no man’s name is written yet I will raise a monument to the gods."
                                                                       -- The Epic of Gilgamesh

Mesopotamia:  The Land Between the Rivers

The inhabitants of the city-states of ancient Mesopotamia (the land between the rivers) were the first to develop a written language.

Helpful Videos:

Ancient Mesopotamia Song (Mr. Nicky)

The Epic of Gilgamesh (Animated)

PowerPoint Presentation:

DOWNLOAD Ancient Mesopotamia

Hammurabi's Code

Hammurabi's Code, published around 1750 B.C., is the earliest written law code known to historians.  While the punishments in Hammurabi's Code may seem harsh to modern readers, they were largely consistent with those found in other law codes at the time (in some cases, the Mosaic Law had harsher penalties).

Lecture on Hammurabi's Code by HipHughes:

This short lecture by HipHughes may be helpful in reviewing for your test.

PowerPoint Presentation:

DOWNLOAD Hammurabi's Code

Header Map Image by ​Goran tek-en